Steak Salad and Tuscan Bean Soup

I can't tell you how many people we know do two different dinners. One for their kids at about 5/5:30 and then one for themselves at around 7/8pm.  Mike and I have never done that.  We've always made one dinner and eat with the kids at the same time.  Now this dinner has looked a little different as the kids grow up.  At 9 months, they did eat baby food and we ate our own meal.  But as they've grown, we've tried to have them eat the same meal we do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes I try to make something I know they'll eat if I know they won't or can't eat what we are eating.  But I am NOT a short order cook.  If they don't like what we have, they don't get a different choice.  Maybe I'll give them some greek yogurt and honey as a consolation..but only if I think they are really starving!!! That said, my kids are not skinny, so I've never worried about them going hungry.

Tonight is a great example.  I really wanted a salad with steak.  Steak is a rarety for us, especially in my kitchen. We may order it at a restaurant but I almost never make red meat at home. I bought organic, grass fed/finished sirloin steak.  It looked like a flat iron steak and it was only $3.49. Wow!

Cilantro Steak Salad
Season steak with garlic powder, pepper, sea salt.
Sear steak on grill on high heat for 2 minutes per side.

Heirloom baby lettuce
Yellow tomatoes
Cilantro
2 T Goat cheese
1 t Olive oil
1 t Apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Toss salad
Slice steak and place it atop the salad

Highly recommend this wine - and it went great with the salad!

I had to dig in my cabinets for what to do for the kids. I knew they would not eat the steak, and although they'll much on salad, it wouldn't be a meal.  Viola - this was awesome. It might not look like much but sometimes a poor man's dinner is the best home cookin'!  

Tuscan Bean Soup

1 can stewed unsalted tomatoes
1 can canellini beans, strained and rinsed
1 t sea salt
1 t thyme
1 t sage
1 t olive oil
1 T basil
1 T honey
1/2 cup water

Saute the beans in oil and spices for about 4 minutes.  Add tomatoes and water and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes.

I also served them up a side of broccoli.  It was nothing special so I'll spare you the photo!

The only thing that is missing is a nice rustic bread.  But it is so yummy. The kids ate my salad - they both actually ended up liking the meat.  So I also got to eat some of the soup.  It was all good!

TIP:  I find that if I serve my kids a vegetable first - close to 5pm, they gobble it up b/c they're hungry and have no other choices.  I also have found that while a nice enchilada with a ton of veggies in it is appealing to me, it isn't to my kids. Sure, they like corn, beans, cheese, tortillas, and zucchini on their own, but not mixed together. So I try to take a meal and separate it into multiple dishes for them, so they are eating one element at a time. It's a pain, but it gets them eating.

Keeping it real! Kathy